Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake

Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake

Hello. My name is Stacy. And I have an addiction.

This is serious, y’all. I have an unhealthy obsession with all things chocolate and roasted hazelnuts—especially chocolate hazelnut butter or spread. Homemade or not, I could eat an entire jarful by the spoon. (I haven’t yet, but I know I could!) No 12-step program can help me now. I’m a goner.

Since Nutella® contains an artificial ingredient (vanillin, as a flavoring agent), and many of my readers may have concerns over artificial ingredients in general, I make the effort to always provide options for special diets as well as accommodate varying food philosophies with my recipes to the point of sourcing out all-natural ingredient alternatives to be included in a list of recommended brands which are tested.

For today’s recipe, I have provided my top choice in chocolate hazelnut spread (which was tested) along with other options. Other blogs may publish daily or every other day, but I strive for quality content over quantity. For me, my faith life and food philosophy, I always look for these following words on food product labels: all natural, certified organic, organic farming, kosher and/or certified kosher.

Nocciolata is my top choice because it is all-natural, certified organic, kosher and soy free. This chocolate hazelnut spread tested extremely well in both the cheesecake and buttercream recipes for this layer cake. The only change necessary when using Nocciolata in lieu of Nutella® is to use slightly more confectioners’ sugar for the buttercream recipe as it required more stiffening. (I used an extra ¼ cup.) The texture of this chocolate hazelnut spread is delightfully creamy with soft bits (which melted on the tongue like chocolate) that whipped up beautifully when using a heavy-duty stand mixer. The taste is phenomenal. Highly recommended.

Although this all-natural chocolate nut butter blend is not suitable for today’s recipe, it certainly is divine! It is my #1 choice for eating right from the spoon. The texture is a bit rough and the consistency very thick, but the taste is magnificent. I like the fact that it is sweetened with organic cane sugar, has 66% less sugar than other chocolate hazelnut spreads and (bonus!) it is dairy free and, therefore, vegan. Justin’s properly names their butter a “blend” since it also contains roasted almonds. I purchase mine from Whole Foods Market® as their prices beat grocery stores. And, I always stock up because they sell out of it so fast!

Why Nutella® in today’s recipe?

This was done for a friend. And, a promise is a promise. She adores Nutella® and I had promised to create a cake using her favorite baking ingredient. Plus, I know others will appreciate it as well and can always adapt using the all-natural and tested alternative I recommend in this post.

Being a baker and recipe developer is like being an artist. And, as an artist, I do not wish to be limited with only certain colors of paints or limited musical notes to “write my songs”. To create with freedom is the main reason why Sir Paul McCartney never wanted to learn to read or write musical notes. He thought it would be too limiting. I feel the same way with ingredients whether developing conventional recipes or special diet recipes. This does not make me a hypocrite. In fact, there are many chefs who do not or cannot taste the food they prepare—whether for dietary or religious reasons. Just ask a Jewish chef if he prepares pork or the diabetic pastry chef if she prepares sugar-laden desserts.

SPECIAL NOTE: Because this particular product is a component ingredient for today’s recipe, I think it is important to note that Ferrero Rocher® Chocolate-Hazelnut Candiesdo contain vanillin as an artificial flavoring as well. After all, both products are made by the same company.

This special “cheesecake cake” is made with irresistible moist and tender Chocolate-Hazelnut Velvet Cake layers enveloping a heavenly Nutella Cheesecake layer with a “light as a cloud” mousse-like texture. The cake recipe was adapted from two classic recipes for chocolate cake—HERSHEY’S® Perfectly Chocolate Cake and Black Magic Cake from AllRecipes.com, a couple of my all-time favorites, to create this perfect hybrid cake. The Nutella Cheesecake recipe is my own.

Instead of calling for hot coffee as the Black Magic Cake recipe does, I simply call for instant espresso granules. My cake recipe calls for buttermilk, as does the recipe for Black Magic Cake but uses the ratio of ingredients that the HERSHEY’S® cake does which calls for milk—even right down to the amounts of leavening agents. In fact, I tested this cake three (3) times—once with 2 teaspoons baking soda and 1½ teaspoons baking powder to test the leavening and to also test with Frangelico® Hazelnut Liqueur and, again, with hazelnut syrup for options to provide the chocolate-hazelnut flavor profile. In all tests, I used hazelnut oil in lieu of vegetable oil. The 2 teaspoons of baking soda yielded a slightly domed cake. However, I preferred the nice and even cakes for this application made with 1½ teaspoons each baking powder and baking soda along with the buttermilk for a nice moist and tender crumb.

Our Chocolate-Nutella Cream Cheese Buttercream was an ideal match to frost both a chocolate layer cake and a cheesecake. It is especially light and silky while having a bit of tang from the cream cheese as well as melting nicely on the tongue. Sublime. To contrast these soft textures, a bit of crunch comes into play as options for encrusting the sides of the cake with chopped blanched and toasted hazelnuts and adorning the top with Ferrero Rocher® chocolate-hazelnut candies. Included is a recipe variation for Nutella Crunch Cheesecake Cake which provides even more crunch calling for Ferrero Rocher® Crunch (chopped candies) in the buttercream between the cake layers. This cake is perfect for lovers of Nutella® and Ferrero Rocher® candies being appropriate for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, World Nutella Day or any day!

If you will be making Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake, 1 recipe of Chocolate-Nutella Cream Cheese Buttercream will be enough to frost and fill the cake as well as pipe the border. However, if you will be making the variation for Nutella Crunch Cheesecake Cake, as well as top the cake with piped rosettes to serve as bases for the Ferrero Rocher® chocolate-hazelnut candies, you will need 1½ recipes of Chocolate-Nutella Cream Cheese Buttercream.

Chocolate-Nutella Cream Cheese Buttercream

For me, it has been interesting to see fellow food bloggers embracing these same chocolate cake recipes and putting their own spin on them since the New Year. They all look so good!

Also, it has been fun seeing the popularity of the component recipe for Chocolate-Nutella Cream Cheese Buttercream at Pinterest. People seem to love it!

Meanwhile, I hope my friend likes her “cheesecake cake”. It was fun to conceptualize this cake and bring the recipe to life.

Honestly, all that is left to say is…make this cake! Set aside the time and just do it if you are looking for a special occasion cake. Your loved one, family, friends and guests will be so impressed they will beg you for the recipe or declare that henceforth you shall bake this cake for every gathering or special occasion. Truly, it is phenomenally good!

What makes our Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake wicked good? It just is. Trust us here at Wicked Good Kitchen! Why would we lie?

Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake

Description

This special “cheesecake cake” is made with moist and tender Chocolate-Hazelnut Velvet Cake layers made flavorful with the addition of hazelnut oil and hazelnut liqueur (Frangelico®) or syrup enveloping a heavenly Nutella Cheesecake layer with a mousse-like “light as a cloud” texture. Our Chocolate-Nutella Cream Cheese Buttercream was an ideal match to frost both this layer cake and cheesecake. It is especially light and silky while melting on the tongue. To contrast these soft textures, a bit of crunch comes into play as options for encrusting the sides of the cake with chopped blanched and toasted hazelnuts and adorning with Ferrero Rocher® chocolate-hazelnut candies on top.

Piping bag, coupler and no. 21 star decorating tip, not necessary if no piping is desired

Directions

Prepare the Nutella Cheesecake Layer: Arrange oven racks to lower and middle positions and preheat oven to 325ºF. Place a 9×13-inch baking dish or pan on the lower rack of oven and fill it halfway with water. The middle rack should be just above the pan of water which will provide added moisture to help prevent the cheesecake from cracking during baking. Generously grease springform pan with butter and set aside.

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer and large bowl, beat the cream cheese, Nutella® and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary with rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Add the sour cream and melted chocolate; mix until fully incorporated and smooth. Using rubber spatula, scrape and pour batter into prepared pan. Place springform pan on middle rack in preheated oven above the pan of water.

Bake in preheated oven until cheesecake is just set in center and no longer jiggles, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and place on wire cooling rack. Immediately, run thin metal icing spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake from sides of pan. This will prevent any surface cracking as the cheesecake cools and contracts. Allow cheesecake to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Once the cheesecake has cooled, place it (while still in the springform pan) into the freezer, covered with plastic wrap. Let the cheesecake freeze completely, about 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

Prepare the Chocolate-Hazelnut Velvet Cake Layers: Arrange oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350º F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with butter, shortening or oil. Line bottoms with parchment or wax paper circles. Grease paper linings and dust lined pans with flour, tapping out the excess. Prepare the pans with insulated cake strips per manufacturer’s directions and set aside.

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer and large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed (stir) until well combined and aerated, about 1 minute. Add oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla; mix on low speed (stir), scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary with rubber spatula. Beat on medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Bring water and Frangelico® or hazelnut syrup to a boil in heatproof glass liquid measuring cup in microwave. Immediately, add espresso granules and stir until dissolved. Carefully add boiling water mixture into batter on low speed (stir) and mix until well combined. Batter will be very thin. Using rubber spatula, scrape and pour batter into prepared pans dividing evenly (about 2¾ cups of batter per cake pan). Smooth tops evenly with rubber spatula.

Bake in center of preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run thin metal spatula around edges of each cake to loosen, then invert onto wire rack and peel away parchment or wax paper. Turn right side up onto wire racks (using an additional rack to flip); cool completely.

Assemble & Ice the Cake: Place one cake layer onto serving plate, platter or cake pedestal or stand in the center. With icing spatula, spread about 3 tablespoons buttercream evenly over top of cake. (If preparing variation for Nutella Crunch Cheesecake Cake, spread 6 tablespoons buttercream evenly over top of cake. Sprinkle with half the Ferrero Rocher® Crunch then spread with a few additional tablespoons of buttercream to cover, about 4 to 6 tablespoons. Repeat this step before placing top cake layer on top of cheesecake layer.)

Remove cheesecake layer from the freezer. Loosen cheesecake from sides of pan by running thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold cheesecake by removing sides of pan. Carefully, slide a hot knife (warmed under hot running water and wiped dry) under the cheesecake, and slide knife around the circumference, to release it from bottom of springform pan. (I used my chef’s knife for this task. However, a long serrated knife will work as well. Be careful!)

If necessary, trim cheesecake to match the size of the cake layers. This is done by measuring the cheesecake layer against the cake layers on a cutting board. (I did this by using a sheet of wax paper between the cheesecake layer and the remaining cake layer on cutting board.) If the cheesecake layer is slightly larger in circumference, use a sharp knife to carefully shave away some of the outer edge of the frozen cheesecake to match the outer edges of the cakes until all sides are even or flush. (When trimming the cheesecake layer, I lifted the wax paper upward to take a peek and then sliced the cheesecake using my chef’s knife.)

Place cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Spread 3 tablespoons buttercream over top of cheesecake. Place second cake layer on top of the cheesecake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake neatly and evenly. You may do a crumb coat and then chill the cake for 30 to 45 minutes before completing the icing, if desired. However, if decorating the sides of the cake with nuts, you can skip the crumb coat because the nuts will hide any crumbs showing.

To Decorate the Cake: If decorating the cake, gently press chopped blanched and toasted hazelnuts onto sides of cake. This is easy to do if the cake layers are assembled onto a cardboard cake round. Simply hold and balance the cake on the cake round in one hand and use free hand to press the nuts into the sides of the cake. Use a sheet of parchment or wax paper, or even a sheet pan, to catch the excess.

If not using a cardboard cake round to hold the cake and press nuts into sides of cake, it is still easy to do. Simply line your cake plate or pedestal with four 4- to 5-inch wide strips of wax paper and use hand to press nuts onto sides of cake. The wax paper strips will catch the nuts that fall away. Turn the cake as you work (a cake turntable is helpful, but not necessary) all the way around. Once finished, scoop away the fallen nuts with spoon and pull the wax paper sheets away leaving a clean cake plate or pedestal.

Pipe a simple or fancy border with your favorite tip (I used a no. 21 star tip) around the perimeter of the top layer. If desired, pipe 10 to 12 small rosettes around the inside of the piped border, evenly spaced apart, and place a Ferrero Rocher® chocolate-hazelnut candy on top of each.

To Store the Cake: Keep cake covered and stored in refrigerator until ready to slice and serve.

To Slice & Serve the Cake: Slice the chilled cake with a thin knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe knife clean after each cut. Use a cake server to transfer slices of cake to dessert plates. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Tips:

If you will be making Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake, 1 recipe of Chocolate-Nutella Cream Cheese Buttercream will be enough to frost and fill the cake as well as pipe the border. However, if you will be making the variation for Nutella Crunch Cheesecake Cake, as well as top the cake with piped rosettes to serve as bases for the Ferrero Rocher® chocolate-hazelnut candies, you will need 1½ recipes of Chocolate-Nutella Cream Cheese Buttercream.

Variation (shown): For Nutella Crunch Cheesecake Cake, create the Ferrero Rocher® Crunch by chopping 12 Ferrero Rocher® chocolate-hazelnut candies to sprinkle between cake layers and buttercream frosting. Serve this cake the same day or next day as the crunch of the candies will soften over time due to the moisture in the buttercream frosting. For this cake, you will need 1½ recipes of Chocolate-Nutella Cream Cheese Buttercream. To make things easy, please see the Notes section in the recipe as the math calculations have already been done for you to yield 1½ recipes of buttercream frosting.

Cake may be made one day in advance. Wrap each layer in plastic food wrap and keep at room temperature.

Prepare cheesecake layer on the day or night before the cake layers. This will make for less time in the kitchen the day you bake and assemble the cake.

When measuring all-purpose flour for this recipe, aerate your flour by stirring it then spoon flour into cup before leveling off with a thin metal icing spatula or straight edge of a knife. This way, you should get approximately 124 grams of flour per cup measure, or 218 grams of flour for the cake layers.

Hazelnut Syrup by Torani® can be found at Torani.com or Amazon.com. It is available from the regular line of Torani® syrups with artificial flavoring or their Signature line with all-natural ingredients.

Use insulated cake strips such as those by Wilton® to ensure cake layers bake evenly. If you do not have insulated cake strips, you can always trim your cake layers so the top of each is level.

If you cannot find blanched hazelnuts locally, you can easily blanch and toast them in your own kitchen. See Wicked Good Kitchen’s related post, How To Easily Peel (Blanch) Hazelnuts, for recipe and tips.

After frosting the layered cake it is best to chill it until firm, about 1½ to 2 hours. Chilling, before slicing the cake, will yield neater cake slices for a better plated presentation.

Products Used For This Recipe:

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About Stacy

Stacy Bryce is a recipe developer and member of the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals). Her passion is developing original conventional baking recipes as well as special diet recipes to include dairy-free, gluten-free and grain-free. You can follow Stacy at Pinterest.

Posting quality over quantity is showingon your blog. This cake looks absolutely amazing. Every time you post I say I want to make that and that and that. It’s hard to choose just one. My cousin aka closest friends birthday is coming up in a couple of months I hope I can make to cake for her.Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg recently posted…No Bake Date Granola Energy Bites

I want in on the party! Wish you could poof me a slice right about now, Stacy! This looks out-of-this-world amazing!! Love the layers, the toppings and the decor. One gorgeous cake!! Pinning this beauty!Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet recently posted…Pizza Pull-Apart Bread Recipe

Aww…thank you, Anna! And, welcome to the party! You are so sweet and I wish that I could *poof!* you a slice of this cake, too. It truly is a phenomenal cake. Thank you for stopping by and for pinning! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, my friend. 🙂

Hello
Being french I can say that I have been raised on Nutella and I can admit that I have eaten the whole jar by myself more than once, when I was a teenager I used to make crepes (pancakes) with my best friend at least once a week and we would buy two jars of Nutella, one to be eaten while preparing the crepes, and the other one to be eaten with the crepes.
Now I am an adult with 4 kids, and while I still ADORE the taste of Nutella, I refuse to buy it any more since I know what the ingredients are. I am not a diet freak by anymean, I hate all fake stuff as fake sugar, butter or chocolate and I love to eat I rather eat less, but only the real stuff. Having said that do you know the ingredients of Nutella? About 72% of it’s contents are fat (palm oil and sugar), it has absolutely no real chocolate in it ; only 13% of hazelnuts, and as you say artificial vanilla…. I am not an organic freak either but I have decided at my own very little scale that to preserve our planet (and the gorillas as would say my son) no oil palm would eter my kitchen
Having said all this your cake is beautiful and very tempting but I will surely try it with homemade or another spread
Cecilececile recently posted…Home Sweet Home

Hi there, Cecile! Thank you for taking the time to write and share your opinions on Nutella® with me and my readers. Nutella® has a way of either being loved or hated. Most nut butters are full of fat..existing fat and added fats. And, yes…I do know the ingredients in Nutella® as I listed them in the article along with ingredients for other chocolate hazelnut spreads as alternatives for my readers. Although chocolate is not an ingredient in Nutella®, cocoa is an ingredient. As you know cocoa is a component of chocolate along with cocoa butter and is called ‘chocolate liquor’ before any sugar or other ingredients are added. In addition, I provided alternatives to Nutella® to include all-natural ones. I myself adore both Nocciolata and Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Blend because they are all-natural. For those of us with dairy allergies, we are grateful for palm shortening and oil. I use it daily in my baking and cooking as I am allergic to dairy. However, as I have stated here on my blog many times, above all I believe in freedom. It is up to the individual to make their own food choices based on their knowledge, conscience and diet. It is exactly why I addressed the ingredients in Nutella® at the outset of my article before I even started talking about the cake recipe which was dedicated to a friend who adores Nutella®. I am glad to know you are exercising your freedom with your food choices. Meanwhile, thank you for the compliments on the cake. Since you adore the chocolate and hazelnut flavor combination, I do hope you will try making the cake with the all-natural ingredients I mentioned. Have a wonderful week ahead!

Quality over quantity is a great thing, you stand by it and it shows.
Stacy, that cake is AMAZING!! I could not stop at a slice, looks addicting. Your posts are so inspiring and the most hard working blogger friend I know.
Love Kate from diethood. Thanks to you and to Kate for adding me to group boards.
luv ya girl.

Aww…thank you, Ash! You are the sweetest. Your blog speaks of quality over quantity as well…and, it shows. I appreciate the compliments, girl. Kate is great and was more than willing to add you to her group boards at my request. It was my pleasure to reach out to Kate on your behalf as you and your talent deserve success and growth at Pinterest. It was fun creating this cake for Kate. Have a wonderful week ahead, my friend! xo

Oh my – Stacy – this cake leaves me speechless – drooling,but speechless! It is gorgeous – those layers of lusciousness are just so wickedly scrumptious!
Quality is what your blog oozes – so take your time and post when you have recipes like this – I just cannot stop staring at this one! WOW!Shashi @ RunninSrilankan recently posted…Thinking Out Loud Link-Up #4

Awwww it’s so so sweet of yourself to have baked this wonderful cake for Kate! And so great indeed that you provided healthier options for your readers! Magnificent work, Stacy! I love reading every single one of your posts and seeing how much effort you put into them so your recipes are this flawless!
I hope you have a fantastic week! <3Consuelo @ Honey & Figs recently posted…Healthy “Fried” Chicken Sandwich with Honey-Lemon Coleslaw

Oh my goodness!! This is a work of art!! You truly have a gift for cakes.. They remain my nemesis. I love your thorough exploration into ingredients too Stacy.. I know you put so much work and effort into each of your posts and in shows! Simply stunning! I’m pinning this one all over!

Thank you, Maria! I appreciate your kind words and compliments. They mean so much coming from such an avid baker as yourself. Cakes are so much fun to develop, bake, frost, decorate and share. Thanks for the pins, m’lady…always appreciated! Meanwhile, have a fabulous week!

Stacy how in the HELL did you pull this off?! This is GORGEOUS in every sense of the word!! literally speechless right now, I am astounded. Pinning everywhere, I’m so impressed doll!Christine @ Cooking with Cakes recently posted…Easy Philly Cheesesteak Crostini

Wow, this cake is absolutely stunning Stacy! Those are the most perfect looking layers I have ever seen on a cake – I am totally speechless! I love hazelnut and chocolate and really admire and love that you go out of your way to find quality ingredients – it really shows in the recipes you share with us. You decorated this cake so beautifully too those Ferrero Rocher chocolates are calling my name and I don’t think I will forget how gorgeous this cake looks – pinning so I can keep on drooling 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful week sweetie 🙂Kelly recently posted…A Tale of Two Fortunes – Green Tea and Red Velvet Fortune Cookies

WOW! That is an incredible looking cake! I know that if I were to try making something like this it would not look half as nice. I’m going to have to save this recipe for a dinner party sometime. Thanks for the recipe and all of the tips and directions that go with it!Katy recently posted…Jan 27, Apple Crumb Pie

Thank you, Katy! I hope you will make this cake soon. A trial run before a dinner party would be recommended because you can tweak to your liking. Allow adequate time, too, so you’re not franticly piping icing before guests arrive. Thanks for stopping by!

That is just a work of art.
I can appreciate the time and effort that went into that.
I’ve been wanting to do a cheesecake-cake for soooo long!
I got samples of the nocciolata hazelnut spread and I was smitten.

Thank you! Oh, you simply must make a “cheesecake cake” soon. Just plan in advance and allow enough time. I always bake the cheesecake the night before and freeze it overnight. And, yes…Nocciolata is to die for! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and happy baking!

Stacy, you are such a sweetheart. Seriously, every time I read your blog your good, true heart shines through. I love that about you. Now, on to the cake!!! This is stunning! So much chocolate and nutella. I would pretty much faint with pleasure from a slice of this!Ashley – Baker by Nature recently posted…Ham and Pineapple Kale Pesto Pizza

Aww…thank you, Ashley. I appreciate your kind words. Knowing your deep affection for all things Nutella, you will flip over this cake! I hope you will make it for a special occasion or ‘just because’, soon. Thanks for stopping by and for making my day, sweet friend!

Thank you, Shikha! You know, I didn’t even list time frames for this recipe because it really depends on how you go about it and your skill or comfort level in the kitchen due to the multiple recipe components. Included are some tips like baking the cheesecake the night before because it needs to be frozen solid before layering. Then, as I mentioned in the article, it was a three day photo shoot (!). However, this was due to lack of natural light from the January sun. Surprisingly, the assembling of the cake goes relatively quick once all the components are prepared. I wish I could *poof!* you a slice! It truly is a phenomenal cake. Thanks for stopping by!

Stacy, this is such a gorgeous cake! I’ve been seeing it on Pinterest right when you published it but am late to comment! It’s so gorgeous, one of the most beautiful cakes I’ve seen lately. Love all the chocolate and chopped nuts around the cake. I love Nutella and Ferrero hazelnut chocolates – don’t ask me how many of those I have eaten lately. 🙂 As always, you have such a meticulous and detailed approach to recipes – quality over quantity definitely shows! And you’re so great at building relationships with everybody: readers, bloggers, etc. Well done, my friend, and I am always looking forward to seeing your new creations even if I am late on commenting. 🙂Julia | JuliasAlbum.com recently posted…Simple red wine mushroom sauce recipe

Thank you, Julia. You are so very sweet. I appreciate your kind words and compliments. We are all so busy in this food blogging world, and with daily life, that I completely understand when you do not have time to comment right away. I am the same, of late! (Still catching up.) Meanwhile, with your love for Nutella, I just know you’ll love this cake. Thanks for stopping by, my friend! 🙂

So my girlfriends and I are having a dessert party next weekend and I’ve been scouring through the internet looking for dessert ideas and specifically Nutella dessert ideas. My search has officially ended, I’m pinning this right now because this cake is PERFECTION!!! This is exactly what I was looking for, over the top, decadent, abundantly Nutella-ish and show stopping gorgeous!!! Now hopefully I’ll have the patience to make mine look a quarter as beautiful as yours is!!
xox LindsayLindsay recently posted…OOTN & an Outrageous Dinner

Thank you, Lindsay! I appreciate your compliments and kind words. I’m glad that you found my recipe. The girls will flip over this cake! Have fun baking it, but do plan ahead, read the recipe and tips through a few times and allow yourself some time. The cake chills beautifully with the cake staying moist without drying out (due to the oil in the recipe). Therefore, you can serve the cake either chilled or slightly brought to room temp. If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out. I check my emails often throughout the day. Meanwhile, have a wicked time at your dessert party!

Girl, I don’t even have words! It’s beyond amazing!! This cake took a lot of work and I envy those who got to eat it! I too am a Nutella addict and this would definitely cure a craving. Fabulous job!!Meghan recently posted…Giant Mocha Meringues & Cuisine Nicoise Cookbook Review

Thank you for the compliment, Meghan! It means so much coming from you, a professional pastry chef. Yes, I know how you adore Nutella…you are wickedly creative with it! You would love this cake and I hope you get a chance to make it. Thank you for stopping by and have a great week!

Stacy, I think I’m at a loss for words. It doesn’t happen often, but, oh my, this cake! This is a beauty. Don’t you just love the food blogging community? It’s full of helpful, caring, genuine people. I love being part of it. This post is so informative. You really did a great job. Pinning this cake, for sure!Jennie @themessybakerblog recently posted…Slice of Life Saturday’s: The Vacation from Hell!

Thank you, Jennie! You are too kind. I appreciate your compliments. Meanwhile, I agree about the good blogging community for the most part. Thanks for dropping by, my friend. I hope your week is going swell!

Hi Stacy, your cake looks fabulous and gorgeous! Love at first sight I can say. LOL!
I would love to try this recipe soon.
Anyway, is there any substitute ingredients to replace Frangelico® Hazelnut Liqueur or hazelnut syrup such as Torani since I have difficulties to find it in my country. Or can I just omit it. Will it effect the texture of the cake since the amount is 1/2 cup?

Hi there, Liana! Thank you for stopping by and for taking an interest in my recipe. I appreciate the compliments. 🙂 You will love this Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake! Both the cake and the cheesecake, as well as the buttercream, are to-die-for. To answer your question…as stated in the ingredients section for the cake, “If using alcohol or hazelnut syrup is not desired, omit and increase water to 1 cup and increase granulated sugar to 2 cups.” Therefore, simply do not use the Frangelico® Hazelnut Liqueur or hazelnut syrup, but increase the water by 1/2 cup (to make up the liquid removed) to 1 cup. Then, increase the sugar to 2 cups (to make up the sugar removed by omitting the liqueur or syrup). I hope this makes sense to you. If not, feel free to ask any questions. Meanwhile, thanks again for stopping by and happy baking!

My pleasure, DenaMarie! Thank you for the kind words. I agree with you. For the cake, cheesecake and chocolate hazelnut fanatics, there could be no other cake to satisfy those cravings. Just perfect for Valentine’s Day. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂 Enjoy your weekend and upcoming Valentine’s Day celebration!

Thanks for stopping by, Jenn! But, hahaha! I’m not about to do all of the calculating, nor do I wish to know, what the nutritional information is per serving for this recipe. There are several calculators online that you could use and get pretty close. (If you wish to know the sugar and fat counts alone, you could easily figure those out by adding them all up then dividing by the servings.) With a cake like this, one would have to throw caution to the wind, enjoy the moment and then get back on track with your regular diet. Let me know what you think if you bake the cake. Thanks again for dropping by!

Made the chocolate-hazelnut layer cake portion of this recipe for a Nutella obsessed friend and it was absolutely delicious! Moist and full or chocolaty-hazel-nutty flavour thanks to the hazelnut oil and Torani syrup. I used a different frosting recipe and skipped the cheesecake layer because I thought it would be too much cake but in retrospect, I should have just made the whole recipe as is. I copied your decorating technique and everybody was wowed. They all thought it came from a bakery. Well done!

Hi there, Barbara! Thank you for writing. To answer your question… You could certainly try replacing the hazelnut oil with walnut oil (I would do it in a test, first, before using it in this cake recipe), but I have not tested it this way. I once baked with walnut oil (banana muffins) and really didn’t like the bitter taste it left behind. Generally, walnut oil is used in salad dressings but not frying at high temperatures since the subtle nut flavor becomes a bit bitter over high heat. However, it could have been the brand I was using. That being said, hazelnut oil is what I highly recommend as the flavor goes so well with the hazelnut flavor in the other Nutella recipe components. Thanks again for writing and I hope that I have answered your question thoroughly. If you do use walnut oil, let me know how it goes!

Oh my Gosh! This is just so beautiful!I went looking for an OTT choc cake for one of my closest friends birthdays and stumbled on this gem! Love your pics and you detailed instructions. Its an elaborate cake,so i’ve been reading and re-reading the instructions a lot. And i had some doubts, prior to starting the baking. 1. When baking the cheesecake, I’ve usually always just placed the cheesecake tin IN the roasting pan with water. Is there a reason why you have placed it below? I dont have an extra oven rack, so was thinking of just placing it in the water bath. 2. Should i place baking/wax paper in the cheesecake tin? I’m petrified of my cheesecake getting stuck and breaking up! 3. Once Ive finished assembling the cake, How long will it take for the cheesecake to completely thaw, so that i know when to cut the cake? 4. In your cake baking instructions, you’ve mentioned to place the rack in the lower third of the oven, and then to place the cake in the center of the oven. Could you clarify? i’m a little apprehensive of burning my cake if i place it to far down the oven. Sorry for the endless questions, but i’m a very precise sort of baker (sort of like you i suspect) but not a very experienced one (unlike you:). Look forward to hearing from you.

I’m so glad you are up for baking and assembling an over-the-top chocolate cake for your close friend’s birthday! To put your concerns to rest, and provide you with every confidence moving forward with this endeavor, let me answer your very important and well thought out questions.

1) Yes. There is a definite reason for placing the pan of water below the cake for this recipe. All too often, springform pans allow water to leak into the pan. Since this is a very light cheesecake (to be supported by a light bottom cake layer), it cannot afford any water to interfere with it during baking. If you have a leakproof springform pan, you should be safe. However, I have not tested this particular cheesecake recipe any other way.

2) No. There is no need to line the springform pan with baking parchment or wax paper. Because the cheesecake will be frozen, when you release it from the pan (I use a chef’s knife, just be careful), it will break away from the pan in one solid piece. Trust me on this. 🙂

3) In my experience, 30 minutes to an hour after slicing the cake is a good time to serve it after refrigerating. As for severing right away after the time it takes you to assemble, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set the buttercream for nice, pretty slices. Waiting about 30 minutes or so after slicing is a good rule of thumb if you want the cheesecake to be soft when serving.

4) Yes. Absolutely, place your oven rack in the lower third of the oven. This way, the cake will sit more in the middle, versus the top portion of your oven when placed on a middle oven rack. Heat rises and cakes baked in the center risk getting over-browned or burned on top when the heat circulates up high. Do not be afraid of the heating element in the bottom of your oven. I learned to bake in the lower third of the oven from pastry chef, Gale Gand. In fact, even award-winning cookbook author Rose Levy Beranbaum explains that she now bakes cakes in the lower third of the oven, for even baking, and why this is. The information can be found in her latest cake cookbook, Heavenly Cakes. This is new advice from her and different than what appears in her first cake cookbook, the classic and iconic The Cake Bible.

Thanks again for writing with such good questions, Shipla. I hope that I have answered your questions thoroughly and completely as well as put any fears you may have had to rest. 🙂

Thankyou for your detailed and prompt answers Stacy! you are a sweetheart! This really does put me in a much more comfortable place to start baking 🙂 The party is on tuesday so i think i will start slowly by tomorow . So excited! Will let you know how it goes!

I’ve run into some unexpected problems! I couldnt find any hazelnut oil OR frangelico!! My cake is not going to be very hazelnutty is it 🙁 also Im done with my cheesecake and it looks way darker than yours. Hope the final cake looks as lovely as yours.

Shilpasays

Its me again! 🙂 I had such success with this cake the last time i tried it, I’m giving it another go this weekend…and I cant wait!! Just thought I would check with you, if you could suggest some changes to the nutella cheesecake, a ‘peanut butter’ one?? I know im playing with the very essence of the cake, but the bday girl really wanted a peanut butter cake and i thought this was a good candidate to make peanut butter-y. I would replace the hazelnuts with peanuts and the hazelnut oil with regular veg oil. But I’m not sure if the cheesecake would be as awesome if i simply switched over the nutella for creamy peanut butter. What do you think?

Emma Barrattsays

Made this today… choc addict right here! 😉 Looks and tastes Ah-mazing!

Hello! I got thrilled by your recipe! I saw it at the beginning of the month and I decided to bake it for my boyfriends birthday who loves nutella. I did some little changes. For example instead of sour crem (which I couldn’t find here in Greece) I used yogurt and instead of Frangelico I used Olmeca Dark Chocolate, which tasted great!
Your instructions were absolutely useful! That’s very important in a recipe. You made it very easy, thank you very much!

Thank you for writing, Zoi! My pleasure. I’m so happy to know how thrilled you are with this special occasion cake recipe and that you made it for your boyfriend’s birthday. It’s the perfect cake for those who enjoy chocolate, cheesecake and Nutella. Yes, Greek yogurt is an excellent substitute for American dairy sour cream. You are a very smart baker. 🙂 Thanks again for writing and happy baking!

I just made this for my youth group and it was Ah-MAZING! 😀 They took it to a bar, where they were having their dessert night. The actual chef came out when he saw it, tasted it himself, and said it was the BEST chocolate cake he has ever tasted! Thank you so much for this genius recipe 🙂

Thank you for taking the time to write, Emma! My pleasure. I’m so glad to know that your Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake was a hit at the party and that even the chef tasted it and proclaimed it the BEST he’s ever eaten. Well, just you wait until I post my next chocolate cake in my Layer Cake Series here at Wicked Good Kitchen. I have posted many component recipes separately because these fabulous and irresistible homemade gems will be added to the cake layers. 🙂 Thanks again for writing, have a great week ahead and happy baking!

Hi Stacy! So I finally made the cake last week and I think it was the best cake I’ve ever made!! A few ppl asked me why I wasn’t in the cake business 😂😂 Thankyou for a wonderful recipe! I have to say it was a rather laborious process though. Esp the demoldibg of the cheesecake. Dont know if it was my freezer, but it was still not completely frozen after almost 24 hours. Also i made about 1.5 portions of your buttercream and still felt it was a little short. My cake did not look nearly as beautiful or near as yours, yet ppl thought it looked brilliant 😊 all said and done, it’s a masterpiece of a recipe! Thankyou!

Just found your recipe on pinterest, and since I love to bake and love Nutella, I had to try it. Had friends over for the football games and tested it on them. it was a huge hit!! I will be making thia again! Thanks for a great recipe.

Thank you for writing, Maureen! My pleasure. I’m so glad you and your guests at your football party enjoyed this recipe for Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake. It is a family favorite. Thanks again for writing and happy baking!

I’m half way through making this cake.. I’ve not had a very good result in the velvet cake layers when baking as they didn’t bake evenly. I baked in an fan assisted oven, I have a range cooker so can change to conventional would you suggest this? Any tips as will re-make the cake layers again tomorrow .. Thanks

Thank you for writing, Lorraine! I’m so sorry that you experienced trouble with this recipe for Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake using a fan-assisted oven. If oven temperatures are not steady and even, hot spots can happen and cakes can bake unevenly. My sincere apologies for not getting to your inquiry earlier as I had to get a new laptop when my keyboard went on the fritz last week. I hope that you went ahead and baked the cake layers in your conventional oven and had success. This is a tried and true cake recipe when baked in a conventional oven. Many readers have tried this cake and it has always turned out well. Let me know how it went. 🙂 Thanks again for writing!

Your cake looks amazing and I can’t wait to try making it. I just had a few questions if you can answer them I’d really appreciate it. 1. I know you mentioned about not using the liquor or the hazelnut oil but it still doesn’t seem clear to me. I’ve bought the Hazelnut liqueur so do I change anything in terms of the water and a sugar? Because the way the one sentence reads is that if you “omit” the hazelnut “syrup” or if you “are” using the liquer then you SHOULD increase to 1C water and 2C sugar. But I don’t want to make any mistakes. 2. I want this cake done for Saturday I can assemble Saturday because I am making the crunch version. I cannot bake on Friday or Saturday. Can you help me with a time line of what I should bake when? It seems like a lot to do on Thursday especially when I have my own thanksgiving dinner to make that day. So can I make the cheesecake part on Wednesday and freeze it till Saturday? And then bake the chocolate cake part on Thursday? I know you mentioned the cake shouldn’t dry out because of the oil in it but I didn’t know if Thursday was too soon. Also if I do make it on Thursday how should I store it to retain moisture? Frozen? 3. And the buttercream. How early can I make that?

Thank you for the compliment and for writing with such good questions. I hope that I can answer them well for you.

1) Yes. If you will be omitting the hazelnut liqueur, the water needs to be increased to 1 full cup. If you will be using the hazelnut liqueur, keep the water at 1/2 cup. This cake recipe requires 1 cup of liquid…either 1 full cup of water or 1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup hazelnut liqueur for 1 full cup of liquid. As for the sugar, since there is sugar in the liqueur, keep the sugar at 1 3/4 cups instead of 2 cups. If you ever decide to make this cake without the liqueur, increase the sugar to 2 cups. I hope this all makes sense now. By the way…I think you meant to type hazelnut syrup instead of oil in the first sentence of question no. 1, am I right? Because, if you do not want to use hazelnut oil, simply use the equivalent of your favorite vegetable oil.

2) About timing. With this recipe, there is some flexibility. As you would guess, baking the cheesecake layer first, since it calls for freezing, is a blessing when working with a time crunch such as this. My recommendation is to bake the cheesecake layer on Wednesday and freeze it, just like you mentioned. As for the cake layers, my recommendation is 1 day in advance. However, I think you will be fine baking the cake 2 days in advance and freezing the well-wrapped layers. It seems odd to think that freezing is best because as soon as you freeze the cake layers, it seems you will be thawing them. But, this method will yield the freshest cake possible given your time limitations for a freshly baked cake.

As for the Chocolate-Nutella Cream Cheese Buttercream, it can easily be refrigerated for 3 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature before beating smooth again. So, it can be made in advance on Wednesday. 🙂

Julie, I hope that I have answered your questions thoroughly and completely. You have a busy week ahead of you in the kitchen, but doing some advance prep will really help. Just remember to allow yourself time on Saturday to bring the buttercream to temp as well as assemble the cake. Simply keep the bowl of buttercream covered. This will have the condensation forming on the lid (such as a KitchenAid work bowl lid) or plastic food wrap and not directly on the buttercream.

Good luck and have fun on Saturday at the event where the cake will be served. I just know that it will turn out fabulously and everyone will love it!

Thanks again for writing and have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day holiday!

I wanted to say thank you so much for responding so quickly to my message back in November. I actually decided against making the cake because I didn’t want to rush the process of creating such a beautiful piece of art. And I didn’t get to respond to you sooner as I’ve had finals and a little toddler keeping me very busy. I will actually be making it this week for Christmas as I’ve got more flexibility with the time and won’t have to stress about making mistakes. Again thanks for the clarification and the quick response. Happy Holidays!

Thank you for writing, Julie! My pleasure. I am thrilled that you are making this fabulous cake for Christmas. It’s perfect for the Christmas holiday. Let me know how it goes and what everyone thinks. I just know you will be successful making it. Thanks again for writing and for the warm holiday wishes. 🙂 Wishing you and yours a joyous and meaningful Christmas holiday!

Hello there!
This cake looks and sounds amazing! I intend to make it next week. The only thing I couldn’t understand is how many Ferrero Rocher candies I should use for the “Crunchy” variation. I get that there should be 10-12 for the top of the cake, but how many for the inside?

Hi there, Maria! Thank you for writing and please accept my apologies for the delayed reply. 🙂 To answer your question, in the Notes section of the recipe there is a variation (shown in my photos) for Nutella Crunch Cheesecake Cake which states, “For Nutella Crunch Cheesecake Cake, create the Ferrero Rocher® Crunch by chopping 12 Ferrero Rocher® chocolate-hazelnut candies to sprinkle between cake layers and buttercream frosting.” So, you will need a total of approximately 24 Ferrero Rocher® candies for this recipe. I hope that I have answered your question thoroughly and completely. Meanwhile, have fun and happy baking this week! ~Stacy

Hi again, Jessica! To answer your question about the number of servings, this cake is ideal for 10 to 12 very large servings of cake and 16 smaller (regular) servings. If you are concerned that the servings may be too small (and expect a very hungry crowd), consider making some cupcakes to serve on the side. Also, should you ever be concerned about the sizes of cake pans, amounts of batter and how many servings, or even how to slice cakes to yield a certain number of servings, just do an online search for helpful charts to guide you using the keywords, “Cake Batter Chart”, “Cake Serving Chart”, etc. There are many out there and they are total lifesavers when baking cakes to serve a large crowd – especially for special occasion events and weddings. Here is a link to Fat Daddio’s (maker of cake pans) for helpful information and charts: Cake Pan Capacity and Slicing Charts. I hope that I have answered your question thoroughly and completely. Once again, good luck with your cake project. Everyone will love it! 🙂

Hi again, Jessica! About your fondant question with this cake recipe, I don’t see why you couldn’t skip the nuts and then cover the cake in fondant. I’m not sure why you would cover this cake in fondant though? However, if you are for decorating purposes, select a firm buttercream or a cream cheese buttercream that crusts such as my recipe for Best Ever Decorator’s Cream Cheese Buttercream. You can certainly add cocoa powder (to match the chocolate cake) to this recipe by removing some of the confectioners’ sugar, although I have not tried it yet. This would create a nice base for the fondant and not cause it to soften or break down. I hope that I have answered your question thoroughly and completely. Good luck with your cake project! 🙂

Hi thanks for your help.I want to decorate it with fondant because she’s going to be one and i like to make her a minnie mouse cake.and fondant cant stay in the fridge.but the cheese cake texture is a bit hard or soft so can stay a bit out side maybe 5hours or it will melt?

Hi again, Jessica! Your Minnie Mouse Cake sounds perfect for your 1-year-old baby girl’s birthday! So sweet. 🙂 OK, to answer your question… You can certainly cover this cake in fondant, after chilling completely, for the short run. That is, you can cover the cake in fondant and keep it at room temperature (not above 70 degrees) for just a couple hours. I would not go over 2 to 3 hours at room temperature for food safety reasons, though, due to the dairy content with the cream cheese in the frosting. We must be careful about bacterial growth. (The cream cheese in the cheesecake is cooked.) Do not keep the cake outside (outdoors) in the heat above 70 degrees. The cheesecake will definitely soften upon standing at room temperature, but it will not melt. Also, I highly advise and recommend that you do not feed your daughter either the frosting or the cheesecake after having the cake sit out more than an hour at room temperature. I would only serve her little bites of the cake itself. It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to food safety with the very young (babies and toddlers), pregnant women and the elderly as their immune systems are not as strong as those of older children and adults. I hope that I have answered your question thoroughly and completely. Good luck making the cake and have fun at the party! ~Stacy

This is an amazing recipe. I have made it several times. I changed a few things but the original recipe posted for this is awesome. I really like the simple yet beautiful way it was decorated on this site. I use this all the time. Thank you so much for sharing.

I’ve made this cake this week, oh my foodness!! They (and myself) realy absolutely LOVED it!! Thank you so much,, we found ourself a new favorite! I decorated it differently but the taste was realy good!!

Thank you, Linda! My pleasure. I’m so glad you and your guests loved this recipe for Chocolate Nutella Cheesecake Cake as much as we do in our family. Thank you for taking the time to write and share your positive experience with me and fellow readers. I appreciate it more than you know. 🙂 Happy baking!

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Welcome to My Kitchen

My name is Stacy. I'm a recipe developer, food writer, baker and member of the IACP. I love to concoct tasty baked creations to share with others—both traditional and gluten-free. Welcome to my Wicked Good Kitchen!